


Motives

by darringtons



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Gen, Gen or Pre-Slash, M/M, episode 102
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-24
Updated: 2017-06-24
Packaged: 2018-11-18 07:51:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11286894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darringtons/pseuds/darringtons
Summary: It’s like I’m back, but I’m not really here.SPOILERS FOR 102





	Motives

**Author's Note:**

  * For [TwinVax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwinVax/gifts).



> spicedupdruid wanted Perclan fluff, and I'm not really sure that this qualifies as either of those, BUT HERE IT IS. Enjoy :)

The eternal twilight made rest difficult.

Or maybe it was the weight of all that had happened.

No Magnificent Mansion to rest in, and no way to leave the Feywild until tomorrow. But those were merely the tip of all the problems they were facing.

Percy stirred awake each time the watch shift rotated, and he was pretty sure Vex hadn’t slept at all. It was a fitful rest, at best, for everyone.

When Scanlan rose to stand the last watch, Percy got up too and moved closer. There was no point in trying to sleep any longer. He’d rested enough.

He quietly sat against the same tree as Scanlan, watching the others try to get their mediocre rest.

“You’re a good man, Scanlan,” he said after a while.

Scanlan laughed bleakly.

“Those are hard words to believe, from you.”

“It’s true. You’re better than I give you credit for.”

“Ever since I came back…” Scanlan shook his head and sighed. Percy could see that he was tired too. Barely rested, barely holding on. “Pike’s anger I can handle. It’s justified. And Grog’s feelings I understand too. But you? Keyleth? We weren’t always the _best of friends_ , and I said terrible things. But the cold shoulder from you is almost worse than the anger from them. It’s like I’m back, but I’m not really here.”

“We had our doubts, surely you understand that. You leave in a blaze, you’re gone for a year, and you return with lies and half-truths. Keyleth and I, well, we suspect you might have ulterior motives. We didn’t know where you stand.”

“And now you do?”

“I still worry. You came back asking for guns, and for that, I will always worry. Keyleth always said: that if it came down to it, you would dimension door away with Pike, leaving the rest of use to burn. But I have seen your heart. That _thing_ pointed right at her. You could’ve stopped it; you had no way of knowing it would miss. You chose the whole of us over her. It says a lot.”

“I’m a man of surprises,” he said, flashing a smile that looked just a little bit broken around the eyes. Even the master deceiver was having trouble with his mask today.

Percy closed his eyes and breathed. Just a couple more hours. Just a little while longer and they could all get home and fix Vax. Then, at least a few things would be alright.

Percy felt a hand on his hip, nearing his holstered pistol.

“If you touch the guns, you will lose that hand.”

“Who says I was reaching for the gun?” Scanlan teased.

**Author's Note:**

> Scanlan saved his counterspell, despite encouragement from Percy/Taliesin, because he knew he would need it. A few minutes later, Taliesin (and, I hope, Percy) realized what Scanlan had known all along.


End file.
